wild thang....

ok, a few more pix...on our last day, we went up to the national park (random fact: gatlinburg is surrounded on 3 sides by national parks, so the size it is now is the size it will always be- will never be able to expand) it took a LOoong time to get up there (we left at lunch time, so i think we were just hungry) & i was thinking 'is it really gonna be worth it to drive all this way?' well let me just say YES! it was incredible! basically you get on this 11 mile loop that takes you around the park...surrounded by trees & mountains & wild animals...BEAUTIFUL...in one pic, you'll see why they're called "great smokey mtns"(named by indians) so...within 5 min into the drive we see a deer..like right IN FRONT of us..so we pull over & get out to look(i'm still a little gun shy from the 'grizzly bear warning at this point- so i move slow :) within minutes we see a buck (male deer for city girls like me, 8 point for those of you who care) and it's following this one doe (female, obviously)...so he's like umm..in heat..and she's the one he wants...many other doe's were around but basically this one doe kept circling us and the buck was right behind her...(brock tells me the buck picks out a doe and follows her untill she's 'ready'...he informs me that THIS is one of the fun parts of deer hunting) so this 'chase' unfolds before us..the deer aren't unaware of us, but simply act as if we are a fixture in the forest- like just another tree-they're totally uninhibited. it's wonderful! the doe floated around carelessly, while the buck was focused and intense.it really was a rare thing to see! ...an hour later..we see a buck (9 point) on the side of the road..i'm thinking he'll run when i get out of the car..but nope, he stands for many pic's and totally ignores us even tho we're 5 feet away! was soo worth the drive up and i feel honored to see such a beautiful side of the world.
*oh, & as for the naked pix, they just made me smile
:)

smokey mountains part 1.....

we're back! oh so much to tell about! on the way up we stopped to see my nanny (she's in a rehab center on the lake) you'll see pix of that beautiful 'center hill' lake in the background! she's doing well and will hopefully be able to leave this week...
once we started getting close to g'burg...we started seeing snow! awesome! one day we took whats called an 'air tram' halfway up the mountain...basically it's a little car pulled up on a VERY thick cable (yes, i asked to see it:) that was incredible...we could see these HUGE chalets tucked into the mountains...we saw the creator of krispy kremes cabin (only 6 inches of it is actually touching the ground- the rest sits on stilts along the side of the mountain...no, thank you) & we saw an exact replica of the barbie dreamhouse (HUGE- cost about $500/ nite to rent)..so once we were halfway up, we got off and mia wanted to ride the 'ski lift'..so i'm thinking 'no big deal'...mia & i rode on one and brock & brax on the one behind us....and i was FREAKIN OUT! this thing took us the THE VERY TOP of this mountain! it was a little old seat with NO BUCKLE just a lil bar that you could pull up and down to hold onto (uh, not ideal for small kids...) my fear was that one of them would wiggle and just slide on out...they did great though..sat very still and soaked up the scenery..which was BREATHTAKING! it was like being on an airplane in slow motion...snow everywhere! you'll see the pic i snapped of the boys...i was literally shaking as i turned to take it..mia kept telling me " it'll be okay. it'll be over soon, mommy" at the end she says "next time, i wont ask to do this one, okay?".so once at the top..i was thinking 'crap, there's only one way down & thats the same way we got up' but we pickniced at the top and we all survived the ride down...the seats never stop moving so when you get to the bottom you just have to hop off real quick (not easy with a bag and a 3 year old- in high heels...) my scarf got caught and the thing started to make it's way back up...workers scrambled to free it..and me! all in all, i'm glad i did it, but will think twice before doing it again. more to come...

baby blue...

took these of the kids the other day...they're good practice...

thanksgiving....

ok so we got back yesterday from mississippi for thanksgiving and we leave tomorrow morning for gatlinburg! we are all so excited! mia keeps saying "oooh i can't wait!" the last time brock and i went was the day after he found out we were pregnant with mia. it was such a 'cloud 9' memory for us so 2 kids later and i'm just glad we enjoy things together. i'm sure i'll take a million and one pictures so if figured i better post some mississippi ones bc by the time we get back, they will be old news! some highlights: brax LOVES the 'four wa durr" (4-wheeler) & any time one of the guys would walk toward the door to go outside, he would wail & run after them crying 'four wa durr!', brock kills 2 deer (mia and i watch him skin in to pieces- very gross & very fascinating), & mia can officially write her name!(yeah, i know, she's got the 3 letter advantage :) a great time...i am thankful for such a warm & welcoming family *oh, and for all those who care-brax peed in potty today! snowy mountains here we come!

birthday cake & dirty diapers...

yay! happy birthday chance! wednesday we celebrated with my brother as he approaches year 22! alot has happened in his life this past year. i'm so very proud of him. his genuiness is something i admire and i'm very glad my children have an example like him. speaking of, he got to babysit for the first time tuesday nite...i asked mia if she wanted to go eat with us or stay at uncle chance's house..she say's " mom, my tummy is really pretty full." (meaning she wanted to stay with chance) chance and josh did a great job and i must give them props as they survived a true "3 men and a baby moment"..brax's dirty diaper! they spread paper towels out on the floor and got him clean! way to go guys! (in the last picture notice braxton's handprint on chance's jacket-he had a little too much fun with the frosting! :)

a great ending!...

Last saturday was our big day for our cheerleaders...they have been working on their routine for months now and saturday was when they got to perform it in front of everyone (homecoming)... they did awesome...we had been working on some fairly difficult stunts that i was a bit nervous about, but they pulled it off and did AWESOME! i was so proud! one of the parents called me later that nite and said a lady saw her West Creek shirt and asked her if she was west creek's coach..she told her no, but her daughter was on the team...the lady told her "you guys were the team to beat today. everyone has been buzzing about what an awesome job your squad did!" well, it turns out that this lady was the head of the entire cheerleading program for clarksville!(she oversees ab 25 squads) the greatest thing about all of this to me is seeing how possible it is for something to be made out of nothing... because the majority of them had never cheered before, they had no idea of what they 'should' or 'shouldn't' be able to do...they were just always up for learning whatever i was willing to teach them..and THAT is why they were such a great group! i just wonder at what point in our lives we think we know all we need to know....i know as a teenager we go thru 'that phase' but what i learned from these girls is (1) PATIENCE! because they are middle school girls & they do like to talk ALL THE TIME! (2) that if we're willing to learn, God is more than happy to impart His wisdom and give us joy as we're taught....so here's to a great season! Go Coyotes! and great fun as we learn life!

mississippi comes to tennessee!

"mamoo" & "papoo" came in for a visit this past weekend (mamuew & papuew as brax calls them...) we spent friday shopping around opry mills...well you could hardly call it shopping...we spent the first hour or so in bass pro shops (okay maybe it wasn't an hour, but when you're really not all that interested in 29 different types of turkey caller things..it sure feels like an hour! :) then our next stop was a train ride for brax & mia..next a ride on the 4wheelers for sale at the entrance of bass pro, stop at a store or two, lunch, pictures with santa (only of brock, his dad, & brax...mia still won't give the guy a chance...) and then back around to... you guessed it!- bass pro shops! although we didn't leave with many bags, we had a handful of memories to take home. afterall, isn't that the point?
next, you'll see cowboy troy mowing the 'grass'...and, for all you mom's with toddlers- this one's for you! ... a picture of what it looks like when you try to eat a meal with kids! :) ..they were no where near me when i first sat down...seriously, like a late nite pizza commercial...they can read your mind when you're hungry!

french fries and laffy taffy...

here's mia and her friend from dance out to dinner..mia and delaney enjoyed fine mexican cuisine- chicken fingers and fries..i never ever order this for my kids, so when delaney wanted to trade some of mia's fare for her fries, mia didn't think twice! they giggled like a couple of old girlfriends...
next, brian and brax's special game together...the old "got your nose" brax loves it and falls for it every time...while playing, brix was eating his first laffy taffy (still not sure who's idea that was...) and was sticky from the waist up...every time brian would make him giggle, brix would lay his head on or hug brian...result- brian ended up just as sticky as braxton! not really sure who enjoyed this more...!

"oh, buddy...get out of the dryer"...

i am telling you...boys are simply of a different breed...now that i sport one of my own, i have great respect for all the parents that have raised more than one and aren't gray because of it..seriously...here are the two of them and how each 'helps' with the laundry...mia- sweet and proud- with her towel she has learned to fold so perfectly (after i spend a good 3 minutes exclaiming over it, walking around to show daddy, taking a picture, and pointing out every possible good corner of it) did i go over the top? absolutly. do i do this every time she does good? no. but every now and then, don't you like people to dote over you? so i turn to see braxton launching his little nemo into the dryer and 'bravely' diving in to rescue it ...over and over...he was the hero. and mia felt cherished....what a beautiful thing to get to raise these two...i often ask God for the wisdom to know how to treat them individually and not as a cluster...it is easy to see why some boys grow up to be big boys, instead of men...their testosterone was squeezed out of them in a disquise of becoming well-behaved..does this mean i am for uncontrolled, bratty kids? well, that's a big no...but what i am realizing is that braxton needs opportunity in the day (a break from 'sit here' 'don't hit mia' 'blankie doesn't belong in the potty, brax') to run free and hit a tree with a stick or tackle lilly (our willing dog..who i think actually enjoys it)...with a little guidance from us and patience as he develops, hopefully he will turn out strong and mighty (and able to sit politely at dinner) :)

thought these were cute....
If a girl accidentally burps, she will be embarrassed. If a boy accidentally burps, he will follow it with a dozen fake belches.
You throw a little girl a ball, and it will hit her in the nose.You throw a little boy a ball, and he will try to catch it. Then it will hit him in the nose.
Girls are attracted to boys, even at an early age. At an early age, boys are attracted to dirt.

"Even as infants, boys have higher levels of testosterone, which stimulates aggressive behavior, and lower levels of serotonin, which inhibits it. Researchers have found that infant boys cry more when unhappy while girls tend to comfort themselves by sucking their thumbs."

ah carumba!...

yay! brock made it home! here's mia and brock in their blissful reunion! i had told him i had cheerleading so we couldn't come pick him up from the airport..he had asked david...so david and i worked together and we suprised him..he walked right pass mia as she ran towards him...totally wasn't expecting to see her.. my brother went with brock so of course he was there getting off the plane too and braxton is pretty much chance's shadow when he's around...even with all his luggage, braxton insisted on chance carrying him.

here's some of the goodies brock brought home...morraco's (that is what they're called, right?..i've been calling them morracans but thats not right, is it?) haha, i don't know..i try my hardest to be multi-cultural but at heart i'm a tennessean! so here's brax and mia with the morraco's (?) and the 2nd pic you'll see mia's reaction as brax knocked her with one of them...that wasn't the only time he practiced his swing...ha, i tell ya, she really has to be on defense with him..he can be really ruthless! he's rough love! next, cute little handmade mexican dress (what do ya think, blanca?) she insisted it was meant to be worn with jeans!

last pic is what i found when i got out of the shower...usually they play well while i shower but brix felt adventurous and pulled a chair to the pantry and went strait for the choc. chips and sprinkles...can u blame him?